Yarn control



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zizergyaeAlflawyzg Patented May 21, 1946 YARN CONTROL Arthur N.Cloutier, Lonsdale, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls,R. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application April 24,1939, 4 Serial No. 269,671. Divided and this application January l6,1945, Serial No. 573,000

4 Claims.

This application is a division of United States application Serial No.269,671, filed April 24, 1939, now Patent No. 2,385,611.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in knittingmachines and in particular to yarn take-ups and yarn tensioning devicesand the means by which they are controlled. The

form of the invention disclosed in the drawings and described herein isadapted for use on the Banner type of circular, independent needle,knitting machine. It should be understood however, that the invention isnot limited to this form or to use on this type of knitting machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a general View of a circular, independent needle, knittingmachine for making split work and showing yarn tensioning devices atboth main and auxiliary sides;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of yarn take-ups, yarn clamps and controllingmeans;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevation showing two take-ups and associated mechanismsviewed from the front of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a developed view of the cam drum and cams which control thetake-ups Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a take-up on the auxiliary sideof the machine, auxiliary and main tensions and means for releasingthese ten- SlOl'iS;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the mechanisms of Fig. 2 insofar as it relatesto the auxiliary tension;

Fig. 8 illustrates the cams and linkage by means of which the take-upcontrol is operated; and V Fig. 9 is a plan View, partly in section, ofthe mechanisms of Fig. 8.

The yarn take-ups, two of which are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are mountedas usual upon the upper part of the machine. Each take-up consists of anarm I, one end of which terminates in an eyelet 2 and the other end ofwhich is mounted in a block 3 behind shaft 4 and a hooked adjusting rod6 slidably mounted in plate I and which can be fastened in any positionby screw 8 by means of which the tension of spring 5 can be regulated.

Pivotally mounted as at 9 on an extension of bracket I0 is a yarn clampin the form of a downwardly depending arm II and a plate I2 sopositioned that the lower end of arm I I will rest upon it when the armis inclined somewhat to the rear of its vertical position as shown inFig. 2.

The front end of arm I I adjacent its lower edge is provided with anotch I3. Pivoted block 3 extends rearwardly of shaft 4 so that itsupper yarn may be pulled out of the binder.

edge I 4 will engage notch I3 when the take-up swings down with theresult that arm II will be swung backward and its lower end moved out ofcontact With plate I2. This should occur somewhat before the take-up hasreached its lowest position.

The operation of this device will be evident to those skilled in theart. of yarn is fed through a suitably positioned eyelet !6 between thelower end of arm II and plate I2, through another eyelet I'I, eyelet 2at the end of take-up arm I, eyelet. I8 and so on to the yarn lever bymeans of which it is fed to the needles. Whenever any slack of yarn I5occurs on the needle side of the take-up arm I will rise to the extentpermitted by the slack. If this rise is sufficient, arm II willengage'with plate I2 and yarn I5 will be clamped therebetween, as shownin Fig. 2, so that no more yarn can feed from the cone for the timebeing. Thus the full capacity of the take-up is reserved for taking upany slack in the yarn at the needle side of the take-up and is notreduced by the undesired feeding of additional yarn from the cone atsuch time. Whenever the tension upon yarn I5 on the needle side of thetakeup becomes greatenough to swing arm I downward sufliciently to causeedge I4 of block 3 to disengage arm I I from plate I2 the yarnisreleased from the clamp so that it is free to feed from the cone inaccordance with the knitting requirements.

Whenever the knittin of the yarn controlled by the take-up isdiscontinued, the operation of the take-up should also be stoppedotherwise the This is accomplished by means shown in Figs. 2-5 whichconsists of drum I9 horizontally mounted on 'a shaft 20 supported by asuitable bracket below the pivoted end of the take-up as shown in Figs.2 and 4. The surface of drum I9 is provided with one or more cams 2I(Figs. 3, 4 and 5) engageable with the lower end of a rocker 22 pivotedat 23 on bracket I0 and having an offset upper end 24 engageable withthe edge 25 of semi-circular extension 26 of the pivoted block 3 bywhich takeup arm I is supported. The lower end of rocker 22 is normallymaintained against drum I9 by a take-up. Whenever rocker 22 is notriding upon a cam 2I its end 24 will engage with end 25 and will preventthe take-up from operating. By

A yarn I5 from a conesuitably positioning cams 2| this action may bebrought about at any desired time or times.

Drum I9 is provided with a ratchet 28 by means of which it is turnedthrough a pawl 28. Pawl 2.9 is mounted on plate 30 swingable upon thedrum shaft 29. Pawl 29 is operated by a lever 3| connected to one end oflever 32; the other end of which is'maintained in engagement with apattern drum 33 (Figs. 8 and 9). 'In this way,-

the 'rotationof drum I9 is controlled as desired and by this means andby the positioning of cams 2| on drum E9 the operation of the takeup isarrested or permitted. 7

The functioning of the take-up is further assisted by correspondinglycontrolling the yarn tensioning device on the needle'side of thetakeup.In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 yarn tensions are shown at 34 and 35 for yarns beingfed at the main and auxiliary sides of the machine, respectively.Whenever .the machine is knitting the corresponding tension must, ofcourse, be in operation but when this knitting is discontinued and atakeupis 'functioning to take up slack in a yarn the corresponding yarntension should be open so as to offer no opposition to the action or"the takeup.

Thetensions shown are of a common form, which will be recognized bythose skilled in the art, consisting of two discs between which the yarnpasses and which are pressed together by a spring, the tension of whichcan be'adjusted to secure the desired yarn tension. Means forautomatically opening or releasing a yarn tension of this type withoutdisturbing its operative adjustment is shown in'Figs. 1, Band '7.Directly in line with mainyarn tension as is a pivoted arm 36 having awedge shaped'edge 31 so positioned that whentthis end of arm 36isfrocked down wardlywedge shaped edge '3'? will enter between the two"discs of tension 34 and separate them so that the tension on the yarnis released'j This tensionrelease is operated from any suitable timingmechanism through suitable connections indicated in Figs. 1 and 6 as rod38.

.Asomewhat' difierent form of tension release 'is shown in Figs. 1, 6and 7 for auxiliary yarn tion between it and bracket 43 provided byspring 44; until cam 45 engages it to draw it inwardly and out ofcontact with tension 35 which is then automatically restored tooperating condition.

The type of tension release last described is obviously suitable onlyfor reciprocatory knitting.

Another control is provided for tension 35 by means of which it can beheld open for any desired length of time regardless of the continuedoperation of blade 38 by its operating cams. This consist of a pin 46(Figs. 1 and 6) so mounted upon a rocker 4,! that it can be made toengage the edge of one of the discs of tension 35 to tilt this disc inrelation to the other and thus.

release the tension on the'yarn. Rocker 41 may be operated'by anysuitable timing mechanism such as that" shown in Fig. 1 which consistsof a' the yarn feeding lever isjraised, pin it will en-. 7

gagetension 35 to. open it, as already described.

tension 35. This consists of a blade 39 having a wedge shaped end 49adapted to enter between the two discs of tension 35'. "The other endof.

blade 39 projects inwardly jinto the path of a cam 6i mounted upon thegear 42 through which thedial is'rotated or, upon any other suitablerotatable part5. Blade 39 is slidably 'mounted upon a bracket 63 so thatit can be moved radially V When blade 39 is not in contact with cam' 4|its position remains unchanged, because of the fric- I aim i. Ina splitknitting machine a yarn take-up adapted to take up yarn slack duringreciprocatory knitting whenever yarnis not under tension at the needles,a yarn tension, resilient means for maintaining said tension inoperating condition and means for releasing said tension wheneversaid-take-up is taking up yarn slack, said tension releasing means beingoperated: by a horizontally disposed cam; s I e 2. A knitting machineaccording to claim 1 which also includes a second rneans for'releas ingthe yarn tension at any desired time without affecting the-operation ofsaidother tension releasing means,

3.'In a split knitting machine a yarn take-up adapted to take upyarnfslack during reciprocatory knitting whenever yarn is not undertension'at the needles, a 'yarn'tension, resilient means for maintainingsaid tension in operating conditionand meansior releasing said tensionwhenever saidftake up is taking up yarn V slack, said tension releasingmeans being directly.

engaged with a horizontally disposed operating cam. 1

'- '4. In a 'splitknitting machine aving a reciprocable cylinder, a yarntake-up adapted'to take up yarn slack during .reciprocatory knittingwhenever yarn not under tension atthe needles, a yarn tension, resilientmeans for maintaining said tension in operating condition and means forreleasing said tension whenever said take-up is taking up yarn slack,said tension re-

